Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-11-19
SINGING As a PROFESSION.
Clara Louise KeiloVs,s Advice.

doctors hand or gliding about his desk.
SINGING As 4 PROFESSION.
Clara Loussc Keilees's Advice.
SIZE THINKS AMERICA WILL sooS LEAD rHE WORLD N
vocALIsM--uE IMPORTANCE OF GOOD AAsTKR-
CoNsERvAroRIn NOT REcoxNENDEn.
Correspondence EVENING STAR.
(Copyrighted. 1879
NEW YORK. Nov. Il. 1857.
There is no woman in this country better quail
ned TO advise young women upon the subject OF
music than Clara Louise Kellogg. For years she
has occupied a very high position in the world OF
music. As all the world knows, she has splendid
voice, splendidly trained, and by her talents and
hard work she has placed herself In the front
rank OF American vocalsts. / had an extended
conversation with her the other day upon the sub
jet OF musical education for young women, how
those who desire to study should begin. and the
rewards the singing offers those who possess good
voices Miss kellogg replied with charming frank
ness to oil my questions. ! asked her:
"What chance has young woman to succeed in
tie musical profession"
EVERY chance in the world-i, she has ability.
But mind, she must have ability and that must be
no ordinary kind either. But with musical abil.
possible chance 10 succeed. The demand for first-
class vocalsss is now greater than IL has ever been
engagements, and il properly placed before the
public would succeed very we'll. The musical pro-
Iession offers great inducements 10 young ladies'
musicians they can make great deal OF money"
would you advise any young lady who has
as,nfy TO strdy music with the idea OF making her
"Yes. II they have the ability. But that ia a
diinenit and serious question TO settle. How are
ability or not. They may have pleasing voices,
and b. able to sing very well In drawing room,
and on that account their friends and parents,
perhaps viii tell them that they are TO be traincd
as songstresses, but after years OF study and ey-
pense they turn out failures. One good way 10
nnd out II one has musical ability Is 70 go 10
good teacher OF singing and get him 10 tell II the
voice is good enough TO train. Perhaps he win not
be able TO tell at once, but after a few months
is ever eoing to amount 10 anytsins Il iii IL is not
then the study OF music as a future means OF sup
porting ones self should be given up and some
training then it should be trained thoroughly, and
no trouble spared TO make oneself perfect as ros
siole In addition to having natural talent in
the shape OF q good voice, however, one must
have love for music. II must be q part Of
your existence and must run through your blood
music you are singing, and be in harmony with
the work In which you are performing, just the
same as an actor tries TO assume the character he
IS playing. There are too mary young ladies who
are trained vocalsts because the profession is
genteei one and because they have fair voices. /
have met with a great number who have been
been at great expense 10 their friends and rela-
tives who could really not afford the outlay, and
they Will never be able 10 Go anything I'm The pro-
fession to amount TO anything These ladies usu-
ally become second and third-rate comic opera
singers
'After a woman has decided that she has ability
how would you advise her 10 proceed with her
education and at what age should she begin TO
train her voice."
gocd time TO beg n, but great care should be taken
with the voice by not overtaxing IL with too much
work. Many good voices are spoiled by giving
them too much TO do before they are thoroughly
matured. As IN example OF this the choristers In
the church choirs can be taken. They are trained
sns are ssy and voices
they rarely become very good singers and usually
change into very ordinary tenors and BASES; OF
course there are some exceptions TO this rule. The
late Joseph Mas was a choir boy, and then PATHS
voice was trained when she was very Young Care
must be taken in the selection OF a teacher, ard
stands the voice, he win DO little coed with IT.
One master may be able to make a good singer OF
you where another would not be able to do any,
thing. master must not only understand music
theoretically, but he must also understand the
voice and be able TO train it 50 as to strengthen
the weak parts. A good way TO begin 10 study IS
then when the voice is we'll matured and is ready
TO be trained, there will be no delay through hav-
Ing to study theory. The voice must not be Strained
at ALL ana everything must he taken easily with il
or it Will be ruined"
"About how long period Of study is nee.
THAT depends on the ability OF the pupil, but in
ordinary cases from four TO five years. me-
times two or three ears VIII do and sometimes a
much longer period Is necessary.
"What books would you recommend for q
student to use?'
Il doniS think books are any good. They are
we'll enough 10 read. and q few useful hints may
be gathered from them that win help somewhat,
but the best kind or study is practice and so long
than ali the books ever written. eo''
SIS it necessary for one to 60 abroad to get a
complete Musical educatlon?'
II think 1t Is One may study well enough. and
found in Europe, but the students cannot get the
finished education here they can abroad. 10
Europe there Is an earnestnesS about the study
that Is not obtained here, and one feels that she
has to Study, and they do too. They ACCOMPLISH
more good work the. e in three months than would
be done in a year IL at home. ! don't know what
TO call IL but there's something In the atmosphere
something In the surroundings that makes you
study and try TO accomplish great things. You
would be surprised to ind how many so abroad to
study and yet what q few there are who really
amount TO anything"
"Are the European masters better qualified than
81 don't know that they are. The masters there
are first class. In this country the masters are
or academies Tor the study OF music. They may
be very well to train for choruses and choirs but
not for solo singing. They cannot give the atten-
ton to pupil In an institution that master Will
TO his own pupil, and then the students in these
institutions don't study as much as they would II
they were Oelng taught InQivl0p2lly. The cOnser-
vaIOries may be good for tue study Of theory, and
for certain practice, but not tor training the
voice Of sOloist."
:why are women not employedin tine orchestras
OF our theaters?"
II don't know don't see why they should not
be, because in performing on certain Instruments
especially str1nged instruments, they have dis
ttnguished themselves IN many ways, ard some
few have shown that they can play on the heavier
and wind instruments. Some OF the female Or
chestras have performed very high chorus music.
think women could MI places IN orchestras very
well, and / think they will some day. am a
great believer In woman's ability and think, with
the exception Of manual Iebor, she can do any
thing the sterner sex now DO"
"DO the VOICES OF women In this country CON-
pare favorably with the voices of women OF other
countrleS?"
ayes No country can claim to produce the best
vocalists. There are good singers In every coun-
try. think, though, that soon every country in
the world is going TO look to this for singers
In that statement, though, will leave out Ger
many. Germany will, think, remain at the top
OF the tree so far as music is concerned but this
country is going TO LEAD the Others in music. All
the performers In the world come here, and are all
music, and are becoming great mtsic-loving
..Docs the musical profession compare favorably
with the professions from money making stand
pOint?"
~ don't know much about other professions but
think the musical profession Is a very good one
and think good singers and performers are paid
better than In any o; her profession Loot at the
fabulous prices the big stars receive. Then again
any good sol0ist receIves good pay In church chors
and in concerts. In orchestras they are paid 81